Scoring and grooving file



April 28, 1942. 5, P

sconme AND GROOVING FILE Filed June 5, 1940 munmmil INVENTOR IPVAO PHGE ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 28, 1942 i"";ii a s 1 is in"; Q ii i i l tab i sit s. r r r ifiiz.

SQfiRING AND GRGGWNG FELE tion of New York Application June 5, 1940, Serial No. 338,935

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for peripherally scoring or grooving tubes, rods and the like preparatory to breaking, and especiall to a device for scoring the sealed end portions of frangible receptacles containing medicinal agents such as sterile water, dextrose, saline, and other solutions for injection or infusion into the animal body.

More particularly, and in its preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a filing device for scoring the tapered tips of the supporting hook portions and the discharge stem portions of large glass ampules in which various kinds of medicinal solutions are marketed and whose reduced ends are hermetically sealed by fusion of the tips, the ampules being opened for discharge of their contents by breaking cit the end portions thereof. While my invention is applicable to various types of ampules and other containers both large and small made of brittle or frangible material, the

invention will be further described in connection with the relativel large ampules from which various kinds of liquids for intravenous injection are dispensed.

One of the common forms of ampules now on the market is made entirely of glass, the ends being sealed, and the upper end being shaped in the form of a hook so that the ampule can be suspended from a support, the lower end of the ampul'e being provided with a stem portion which, after the tip has been broken off, is adapted to be fitted into a flexible tubing whose other end terminates in the injection needle. thatin breaking off the lower tip of the ampule, extreme care must be exercised that a clean break is obtained, it being essential that splintering be avoided as the accidental introduction of even minute particles of glass into the discharging liquid may not only. clog the injection needle, but

on entry into the blood stream cause serious, if

not fatal, injury to the patient.

Hithereto, small straight files provided with suitable cutting edges have been employed for scoring or grooving the end portions of such ampule-shaped receptacles. The usual practice was to lay the ampule upon a firm supporting surface, grasp the file in the right hand and guide its movement and apply the pressure with the index finger of the right hand at the point where the stem or hook was to be grooved. It was, of course, important that no such large pressure be applied as to cause snapping on of the end portions at this stage. First one end and then the other of the receptacle was scored in this way; the receptacle was then hung .upon a support. With the It is obvious tube ready for'connection with the opened stem end, the stem tip was then broken off and the tube slipped over the open end. To permit discharge of the contents into the tube, the scored tip of the hook portion was then broken off to connect the interior of the receptacle :with the atmosphere. In this mode of operation, great care and a certain degree of skill were required to produce satisfactory grooving with the straight file, since the file has a tendency to Wobble and slip, especially when its cutting teeth are only of the order of hardness of the glass, or are somewhat worn, in which event two or more instead of a single groove or an irregular groove was made, thereby creating a tendency to splintering of the glass when pressure was applied to snap oii the tips. After suspending the grooved receptacle, it was also necessary for the operator to remember at what point the stem or hook had been grooved or scored, or else to locate it, so;

as to determine in what direction the snapping pressure was to be applied in order to obtain a clean break. As it was difficult, if not impossible,

in most cases to produce a score line completely ticularly as the ends of the receptacle are of,

tapered form.

It is the general object, of the invention to provide a scoring or grooving device for frangible containers which eliminates the disadvantages in the construction and use of straight files explained hereinabove and enables glass ampuleshaped and other receptacles to be grooved safely and conveniently and with a minimum of effort and skill and over as large an arc as is desired. More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple file of annular form which can be applied, in the case of a glass ampule, while the container is in its suspended condition ready for immediate use, the file being capable of providing a single clean groove which will enable breaking off or" the tips without danger of splinterin g. By giving the annular file a polygonal, such as a hexagonal outer shape, it is made easily manipulable, and as pressure is applied in the form of a couple, danger of breaking of the tip during the scoring is eliminated,

Ihavefound that thistype of file can be made entirely of hardened metal, preferably steel, the device being thus a single integral piece of metal and there being no special cutting teeth of carborundum and the like secured thereto. My improved annular file is provided with a central opening, about which the teeth are located and which is dimensioned in accordance with the taper of the tips of the receptacle so that on being slipped onto the tips, it is stopped at a more or less definite point thereon so that longitudinal displacement of the file is practically impossible when the file is rotated to produce the groove. I have found that by reason of such construction and cooperation, the file teeth need be only of the order of hardness of the glass and may accordingly be made of a suitable steel. An extremely simple and inexpensive device is thus provided.

The invention will be described in further detail by reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, by way of illustration, two embodiments of the invention. In said drawing Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a known form of ampule in the suspended position with my improved file device in position for scoring the stem thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the annular file shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the file;

Fig. 4. is a similar cross-section through a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5 shows a central vertical section through the same.

Referring to Fig. 1, the frangile receptacle is shown in the form of a glass ampule it which is suspended from a support H by Way of an integral hook portion 52. The discharge stem is shown at l3. Both the hook and stem ends have been hermetically sealed by fusion, and the tip portions are of tapered outline, as shown in the drawing. As shown, the ampule may be suspended from the support by way of a ring it to give it greater freedom of movement.

In preparing the ampule for the discharge of its contents, it is necessary to break oil both the stem and hook tips, and in accordance with the invention this is accomplished by means of my improved annular file while the ampule is in the suspended condition, that is, in position for delivering its contents to the patient. As can be seen best from Figs. 2 and 3, the file is composed essentially of an integral plate It provided with a central opening Iii along whose periphery is arranged a series of teeth H. In Fig. 2, these teeth are shown as of scalloped formation but they can of course be made of any desired shape. The plate i5 is preferably of polygonal outline to facilitate engagement by the fingers, and in order to provide a larger engagement surface, the outer portion of the plate is bent at right angles to the main body of the plate to provide a flange M. In order to provide a sharper cutting edge, the central portion of the plate may be ground down as shown at I 9.

The file may be made of any hard material, preferably hardened steel. The central portion of the file is preferably bent upwardly as indicated at 29 for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

In the use of my improved file, and particularly in connection with the scoring of an ampule containing a medicinal solution, the ampule is suspended from a support, if desired in position for delivering the solution to the patient. The

file is first slipped over the tapered tip of the stem l3 of the ampule, the inner diameter of the file being so determined that the upward movement of the file along the tip is stopped along the tapered portion of the tip and at the hollow portion thereof, as is best shown in Fig. 3. The file is thus firmly seated along the tapered surface of the stem l3 and. upon rotation of the file with the fingers, a more or less circular score line can be cut into the tip. The file is then removed and a similar operation is performed upon the tapered tip of the hook portion I2. Thereafter, the scored tip of the stem is broken off, the rubber tube (Whose other end is provided with the injection needle) is then slipped over the stem I 3, after which the tip of the hook portion i2 is broken off and the apparatus is ready for the delivery of the contents of the ampule.

It will be noted that in the scoring of the tips of the ampule, only a light pressure need be applied transversely to the length of the parts: to be scored, part of the pressure being applied in the direction of the length of such parts. Also, vibration during the scoring is reduced or eliminated with the result that danger of breaking or chipping of the tips during the scoring is eliminated. Also, by reason of the fact that the file is firmly seated upon the tapered part to be scored, only a single score line is made, so that a sharp break is obtained.

In order to improve the cutting action of the teeth and insure a clean and deep score line, I prefer to bend the central portion of the file upwardly, as shown at 20, so that when the file is in the cutting position, the teeth are substantially at right angles to the surface being scored. This is clearly shown in Fig. 3. By this construction of the file, a' cleaner score line and a sharper break is secured.

In order to avoid injury to the glass stem, or hook, by a too vigorous movement of the file along the same, and also in order to assure an even firmer seating of the file upon the part to be scored, I may provide more or less radial slits 2!, extending from the central opening of the file to a point short of the outer periphery of the file. These slits divide the plate into a number of sections which have a certain degree of resiliency and aid in taking up the shock if the fiie is forcedtoo vigorously against the surface of the tips to be scored. Also, by reason of this construction, a better biting action of the teeth is secured upon light pressure upon the file in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the part to be scored. In this way, a score line about the complete circumference of the tip is assured.

The file shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is of similar construction to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but is highly satisfactory for most purposes. Like the construction above described, it is provided with an inner row of file teeth H, but the surface of the plate is entirely flat and the slits 2! are omitted. The underside of the plate can be ground, as shown at H3, in order to provide a sharper cutting edge for the teeth. Whereas the flange E8 of the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3 extends continuously about the file, the flange of Fig. 5 is composed of a number of bentdown portions 22 following the cutting of V- shaped slits 23 in the original blank. The outline of the file, like that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is preferably of polygonal shape to facilitate engagement by the fingers. It will be understood that the last described structure can be so constructed that its teeth are bent upwardly in the same manner as in Fig. 3 for the purpose explained hereinabove.

It will be understood that while I have described my improved file in connection with its preferred application for the scoring of the tips of ampules, it will be clear that such file can be employed for the scoring ofother than glass articles, whether hollow or not, and also for the scoring of cylindrical objects.

Variations from the specific details described hereinabove may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. An annular file adapted to begrasped between two fingers of one hand and slipped over the end of a tapered glass tube, rod or the like to effect scoring preparatory to breaking, and composed of a centrally apertured sheet metal plate having a row of cutting teeth along its inner periphery, and having a plurality of approximately radial slits extending from the inner periphery to a point intermediate the inner and outer peripheries and dividing the body of the file into relatively flexible sections.

2. An annular file as set forth in claim 1, wherein the central portion of the file is ground down to sharpen the edges of the teeth.

3. An annular file adapted to be grasped between two fingers of one hand and slipped over the tapered end of a glass tube or rod to effect scoring preparatory to breaking, said file being composed of an integral sheet metal plate of a size to fit between the fingers and having a single circular aperture therein,the outer periphery of said plate being polygonal in form and provided with depending flanges, the inner periphery of said plate being provided with a, circular row of cutting teeth integral with the body of the plate, the portion of said plate adjacent the inner periphery extending obliquely to the general plane of the outer periphery of the plate in such a manner that when the file is slipped over a tapered tube and the teeth are substantially at right angles to such tapered surface, and the raised central portion of the plate being ground down to sharpen the teeth.

4. An annular file adapted to be grasped between two fingers of one hand and slipped over the end of a tube, rod or the like, to efiect scoring, and composed of a perforated integral plate of a size to fit between the fingers, and having a row of cutting teeth along its inner periphery integral with the body of the plate, the plate having a plurality of slits extending approximately radially from the inner periphery to a point intermediate the inner and outer peripheries and dividing the body of the file into relatively flexible sections.

5. An annular file adapted to be grasped between two fingers of one hand and slipped over thetapered end of a tube or rod to effect scoring preparatory to breaking, said file being composed of an integral sheet metal plate of a size to fit between the fingers and having a single aperture approximately at the center thereof, the inner periphery of said plate being provided with cutting teeth integral withthe body of the plate, the portion of the plate adjacent to the teeth being approximatelyof conicallshape and extending obliquely to the general plane of the outer v periphery of the plate, and in such manner, that when the file is slipped over a tapered tube end the teeth are substantially at right angles to such tapered surface.

BRUNO PAGE. 

